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that had been embedded in the earth. The blood pounded in his head, and when he tried to open his
eyes the pain was intense.
Slowly he let his eyes grow accustomed to the failing light, then, moving his head as much as the
binding allowed, he looked about him.
Close by, on a small table-so close that, had his hands been unbound, he could have reached them-
were the two Linking Books.
He groaned, remembering, then felt a touch on his shoulder, felt his father's breath upon his
cheek.
"So you are back with us, Atrus," Gehn said quietly, speaking to him alone. "I thought for a while
that I had lost you. It seems I do not know my own strength sometimes."
Atrus hung his head, grimacing at the thought of Catherine. She was there, on Myst, waiting. And
now he had failed her.
"Catherine, ah clever Catherine," Gehn spoke as if he heard Atrus's thoughts. "You really didn't
think she'd miss her own wedding?"
With that, Gehn turned to face a figure who stood just beyond him in the shadows of the
surrounding trees. Atrus went limp as the figure stepped forward into the sunlight.
It was Katran.
Atrus dosed his eyes and groaned, remembering the old men's words, recalling the sight of the two
golden bracelets laying there in the shallow red-black bowl.
She is marrying my father...
The thought was unbearable. He could almost hear their laughter. Yet when he opened his eyes
again, it was to see Gehn, alone, standing before the Age Five islanders, his hands raised, his
appearance that of a great king come among his subjects.
"People of the Fifth Age," Gehn began, his voice powerful, commanding. "It had come to my notice
that some of you..." Gehn pointed to a little group Atrus had not noticed, or who had possibly not
been there until that moment; who knelt there abjectly, just below Gehn, their hands bound: the
two brothers, Carel and Erlar among them, "Some of you, as I say, have taken it upon yourselves to
help my enemies. To nurse this imposter"-he turned, this time indicating Atrus,- "who dares to
call himself my son!"
Gehn turned back, raising his hands again. "Such behavior cannot be tolerated. Such defiance must
be punished."
There was a great murmur of fear from the watching islanders.
"Yes," Gehn went on. "You were warned, but you did not listen. And so, in punishment, there will
be great tides..."
"No ..." Atrus said, finding his voice.
"And the sun will turn black ..."
"No..."
"And the ground... the very earth will shake and the great tree fall!"
"No!" Atrus cried out a third time, this time loud enough for some among the crowd to hear him.
"No! He's wrong! I've fixed it. All of those things ... all of the weaknesses in the book. I've
put them right, I've ..."
Atrus stopped, seeing the hideous grin of triumph on his father's face as he stepped up to him.
" Well done, Atrus ... I knew I could count on you." Gehn's smile was suddenly hard and sneering.
"I shall be most interested to read the changes you have so graciously crafted for me." Then,
stepping away, he clicked his fingers, calling to the nearest of the Guild Members. "Untie him!"
Turning to face the crowd again, Gehn raised his hands. "People of the Fifth Age. You are most
fortunate. I have asked my servant here to do my bidding and he has done so. Your world is safe
now. Yet if you transgress again, if I find that any among you have sought to help my enemies,
then the full weight of my wrath shall fell on you. I shall destroy your world, just as I created
it!" He sniffed deeply. "But let us not dwell upon that now. Now is a time to look forward, and to
celebrate, for tonight, at sunset, I shall take a daughter of this Age to be my bride and rule the
thousand worlds with me!"
There was a great cheer at that. Gehn turned, looking to Atrus, his whole demeanor triumphant.
Atrus, seeing that look, turned his head, stung by it, all fight gone from him now. He had been
duped. Used by the two of them.
He pressed his hands together, the pain suddenly unbearable, then gently rubbed at his wrists
where the binding rope had chafed them. He was beaten. There was nothing more he could do.
But Gehn was not done. Stepping up to Atrus, he pressed his face close to Atrus's, speaking so
only be could hear.
"Don't think that I have finished with you, boy. You have caused me an inordinate amount of
trouble, and I shall not forget that. As far as I am concerned, you are no longer my son. Do you
understand me? I do not need you anymore, Atrus. You have served your purpose." Gehn looked to
Catherine and smiled; a hideous, gloating smile. "Yes... you see it, don't you? Catherine and
I..." He laughed, "She's a strong young woman. Perhaps my next son will not fail me.'"
Atrus groaned. It was a nightmare. Had he still been bound to the post he could not have felt more
impotent.
Catherine ... my beloved Catherine .. .
He looked up, surprised. The ground was trembling.
No ... he was imagining it.
And then the ground shook violently, as if a great rock had been dislodged beneath them. From [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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